When readers ask where I get my ideas, the answer is usually a mix of real-life moments, random “what if” thoughts, and a dash of pure magic.
For Skeletons & Scandals, it started with a memory of my grandmother’s kitchen. She always kept a tin of handwritten recipe cards, edges curled from years of use, little flour fingerprints smudging the ink. When she passed, I inherited a few of her recipes — and I swear, every time I bake one, I can feel her standing beside me.
That feeling became the seed for Birdie’s ghost.
I imagined a once-famous local chef who loved feeding her community. When she was murdered, her body and her ghost were trapped inside an old cedar trunk. When Ava finds her, her ghost needs help solving her murder before she can pass on and enjoy stayed in the kitchen, rearranging spice racks and leaving floury footprints until her final recipe was served — with a side of justice.
From there, the rest of the story fell into place:
A Southern Spirits Cookoff full of small-town pride and a pinch of rivalry
A poisoned casserole that turns Brax's diner into a crime scene
And a haunted attic hiding a decades-old skeleton — literally
I also pulled in the charm and chaos of Southern storytelling. Where I grew up, you couldn’t sit on a porch swing for more than five minutes without hearing a family legend, a ghost story, or a recipe tip (“Don’t you dare skip the butter, honey”).
The result? A cozy mystery that blends mystery, food, family, and the kind of magic that makes you believe a ghost could help you bake the perfect pie.
I hope when you read Skeletons & Scandals, you feel that same mix of warmth and wonder I did while writing it — and maybe you’ll keep an extra slice of pie for Birdie. <wink>
➡️ Skeletons & Scandals is out now! Grab your copy to find out what Birdie’s ghost is hiding—and what secrets Ava will uncover next. Spoiler alert: one of them might involve pie. https://www.nyxhalliwell.com/skeletons-scandals-confessions-of-a-closet-medium-book-10
